January 2014 – Casino Review

January 31, 2014January 30, 2014

How Seattle Wins Super Bowl XLVIII

The biggest game in all of football is just days away now and rather than just give you a general breakdown of the game I’m going to give you a look at how both teams win Super Bowl XLVIII. I’m going to do this by focusing one team at a time in terms of the line, over/under possibilities and the general gameplan. I took good hard look at how the Denver Broncos win and cover the three-point spread on Wednesday. Today, I’m focusing on the Seattle Seahawks.

The National Football Conference Champion Seattle Seahawks enter Super Bowl XLVIII as three-point underdogs. As I mentioned Wednesday, I think that is in large part due to the way Denver played versus how Seattle played in their respective conference championship games. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Seattle has struggled recently on offense and Russell Wilson in particular.

How Does Seattle Cover the Spread?

Lynch may be a decoy early on in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Common thinking by anyone who covers the National Football League will tell you that Seattle must run the ball well early and often. That accomplishes two things for the Seahawks. Most importantly, it means they are advancing the ball and collecting first downs. Secondly, but perhaps just as importantly, running the ball well means keeping Peyton Manning on the sideline wearing a visor. Or in this year’s case, a stocking cap.

I tend to think a little differently though. Look for Seattle to come out with hard play-action meaning, you’ll see Wilson being very emphatic with his fakes to Marshawn Lynch. Denver will already have safeties and linebackers thinking run so their first step will be forward. The only way this is successful of course is if Wilson is completing the passes.

I also think you’ll see Wilson on a lot of designed roll-outs and bootlegs because this could really cause Denver problems. The Broncos have faced both San Diego and New England so far in the playoffs and those teams have very traditional, drop back passers. Russell Wilson can be a nightmare on the edge because of his ability to run with the ball.

The Broncos haven’t seen much of this in 2013 and I have to believe that Pete Carroll and his offensive coaches want to take advantage of that. I’m not suggesting that Seattle abandons Marshawn Lynch at all but I think it will be wise to open up the defense a bit which in turn opens up running lanes for Lynch. In other words, pass the ball to set up the run.

On the other side of the ball, Seattle must guard against being spread out which is what I think Denver will do. They cannot allow clean get-aways from the line of scrimmage from the Broncos’ receivers and whoever guards Julius Thomas must be able to handle his size and speed.

Pay attention early on Denver’s opening drives to see how Seattle is playing the receivers. If Manning is having timing issues because wideouts are getting knocked off their routes then that could really open defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to bring more pressure. Carroll and Quinn both know that getting to Manning is not easy. That said, it isn’t impossible and teams that typically have good outside edge rushers give Manning fits.

As I mentioned Wednesday, the over/under is 47 and if you like Seattle to win then you like the under. Seattle must keep Denver in the low 20’s to have a legitimate chance because the Broncos can play pretty good defense too. I also have to believe you love getting the three points.

Like the Broncos, the Seahawks have gone under in their last five games. Seattle is also 3-6 against the spread in their last nine meetings with Denver. The last time these two teams met, Denver won 31-14. The quarterbacks were Matt Hasselbeck and Kyle Orton so there isn’t much use in a comparison.

January 31, 2014

Weather No Longer a Worry for Super Bowl Bettors

The Super Bowl is just two days away and the betting lines are taking shape. Bettors are wondering how the weather will affect the outcome, point spread and point total. Some are wondering if the line will finally reach Denver -3.

The weather storyline for the Super Bowl has not been hyped up much in the media and that has helped the sports book, as they have seen an increase in action including wagers of six figures in Vegas for both teams, as the weather forecast continues to improve.

Last week, the forecast was calling for freezing temperatures with as high as a 60% change of precipitation. Some betting props used on Bovada, topbet and other sports books were delayed because of worry over the weather.

Last week for example on betonline and sportsbook.com the UNDER was a popular bet due to the worry over the possible inclement weather. However, as the weather outlook brightened, so did the bets for the OVER.

One reason the betting is taking a turn towards the OVER in the point total is the wind. Each new weather report being released is showing lower wind speeds for Sunday’s big game and that will influence many bettors, especially smart money that will start to appear between now and kickoff.

Early Friday morning most shops had the point total on 47.5 but others were as high as 48 and as low as 47.

Current forecasts are calling for temperatures in the 40s with lows in just the upper 30s, little or no chance of precipitation and light winds.

No one can completely forget about the weather since there is a frontal system predicted to hit western upstate New York on Sunday and could, albeit the chance is remote, hit the area.

However, for smart money and for those quarterbacks with a sloppy spiral, it is the wind that factors in the most and that is not expected to be a factor on Sunday.

That should therefore favor Peyton Manning, as his aerial attack is so important to the Broncos offense.

The current line of -2.5 on Denver is holding steady, but some are wondering if it will jump to -3.

Opinions differ and no sports book of note has pushed it up to -3. Even with the majority of shops holding more money on Denver, they were hesitant to move the line up due to a worry that big sharp money will then pounce on Seattle at +3.

Most odds makers do not think it will go to -3 and if it were to get there they believe it would be a weak +3 (-120) and nothing more. They also say that there is a ZERO chance of its making its way to -3.5.

Some wagering sites believe 90% of the money wagered on the Super Bowl will be bet between Friday and Sunday’s kickoff.

January 30, 2014January 29, 2014

Is the Expansion of Pro and Collegiate Stadiums Still a Good Idea?

It was announced this week that the University of Notre Dame would be expanding Notre Dame Stadium in a project that will cost around $400 million according to the University president. This could potentially move the stadium to around 84,000 seats. Over the last decade, we’ve seen schools like Michigan and currently Texas A&M take on massive upgrades to their stadiums at monumental costs.

Even in the pro ranks we’ve seen shrines like Cowboys Stadium go up with over 100,000 seats all while stadiums like ones in Oakland and Jacksonville cover large sections of seats with massive, team colored tarps. Fielding competitive, tradition-rich teams certainly helps fill seats but even when those teams struggle or are average, they can lack butts in seats too.

Packers — Green Bay needed a last-minute save to avoid a blackout due to unsold tickets for their playoff game.

Take Green Bay for example who needed local companies to purchase tickets for the NFC Wild-Card game against San Francisco in order to avoid being blacked out locally. This is something that no one would have ever dreamed of in Green Bay but it happened.

It happened prior to Cincinnati’s Wild-Card game against San Diego as well yet colleges and professional teams still seek to expand their stadiums. The problem is that the places that expand and gain success are usually putting in things like massive video boards, free wi-fi and even food service brought directly to your seat.

The idea is to make coming to a game an experience that far exceeds just watching the game itself. People want to be entertained and feel they deserve as much as they possibly can get for the prices they are sometimes forced to pay to attend.

The problem is that even places like the University of Michigan who pack upwards of 114,000 people in Michigan Stadium, are seeing problems. Michigan had several games this season where hundreds of seats around the upper rim went unused. In the pro ranks, proud teams like the Steelers saw their final two or three home games unattended by as many as 15,000 people.

Stadiums can only do so much to keep people attending games and I fear they are no longer doing enough. People are starting to realize that with 60″ HDTV’s, bathrooms and refreshments just feet away and with no traffic to deal with that going to games just isn’t what it once was.

This isn’t to say people don’t still enjoy the atmosphere at stadiums but is it really worth it? I was in a very well-attended NFL game this year and for the most part had a great time. What I didn’t like was the over-intoxicated “fans” who clearly come to the games to socialize and be a spectacle themselves rather than watch the game.

I’ve been around long enough to know this type of thing isn’t going to go away anytime soon but I still can’t help but wonder why schools and franchises continue to get bigger with their stadiums when it gets tougher to fill the seats.

Fans don’t want the inconveniences of heavy traffic and large crowds for bathrooms anymore. Maybe it’s better to say they they’ve grown tired of them, especially for games where there isn’t a lot of meaning. Throw in the fact that going to a game as a couple or family of four let’s say, is financially impossible for millions of people.

Prices for tickets and beverages aren’t going to come down anytime soon because contracts keep getting more and more lucrative. At some point, I have to wonder if only the very wealthy will be able to attend top sporting events anymore?

If I’m a university or professional organization then I have to think long and hard about just how important adding seats is to my future plans considering the way things are going.

January 30, 2014

NFL and Vegas a Billion Dollar Relationship

The NFL is the most popular sport for public bettors in the U.S. However, on one side the NFL believes the betting world and Vegas hold dirty little secrets, while on the other side that secret might not be as dirty as it seems.

Before Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVIII is over the sports books including Bovada, topbet, betonline, sportsbook.com and a host of others will cross the $100 million mark for the handle on the game.

That will make the day, the single greatest in the history of sports gambling. A feather in the cap moment for the world’s gaming industry, and another awkward one for the billion dollar industry known as the NFL.

Publicly Roger Goodell, the NFL Commissioner has kept the world of sports wagering at a distance, but the impact it has on the game cannot be denied.

If the league wanted gambling to stop, there would be no lucrative contract for television and an end to the injury report, said on legendary odds maker in Vegas this week.

While the commissioner has spoken about the integrity of the NFL in the past and how the league needs to stay away from any gambling connections as to eliminate the thought or chance of nefarious actions taking place, the league has a connection very few people are aware of.

Once the last whistle has blown on Sunday’s Super Bowl and the last of the thousands of fans have left Met Life Stadium in New Jersey, another NFL season will have come to an end along with a contract that is little known.

In 2012, the NFL gave permission for teams to have a limited amount of casino advertising. Although the NFL has a list of prohibited categories for advertising that includes “gambling related advertising,” NFL officials allowed teams on an individual basis to accept ads from casinos on signs at stadiums, game programs and on radio stations that are local.

The ads can only be for a casino without any sports book and cannot have images of dice, cards and slots.

One insider in the television industry believes that the league will either move ahead with its current setup for this type of advertising or relax their standards even more on the casino advertising and allow team to makes million of dollars more. Just another example of how much casinos want in on advertising with the NFL.

By far, both professional and college football is the biggest attraction at all sports books. Of the close to $4 billion wagered annually, over 50% is on football.

January 29, 2014January 29, 2014

How Denver Wins Super Bowl XLVIII

The American Conference Football Champion Denver Broncos are currently listed as three point favorites in Super Bowl XLVIII. Following Seattle’s win over San Francisco the line was immediately listed as a pick’em game and then moved to the current -3. I think Denver being favored comes down to one thing and that’s how they played against New England compared to how Seattle played against San Francisco.

Personally I don’t think it’s a fair comparison but it is what it is. I saw the 49ers as a much better opponent than New England.

Manning's decisions at the line of scrimmage will be crucial for his offense's success.

How Does Denver Cover the Spread?

The easy answer is they need to score four or more points than the Seahawks do right? It isn’t that simple however because the Seahawks play darn good defense. If I’m the Broncos and Peyton Manning, I’m looking to spread this defense out early and often in the game.

I think you’ll see a lot of Peyton Manning at the line calling run or pass audibles based on what Seattle’s formation is as well as what personnel they have on the field at the time. When I say ‘spread them out’ I’m talking about getting Wes Welker in the slot, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker out wide and tight end Julius Thomas all over the place.

That means just Knowshon Moreno in the backfield. The key will be Julius Thomas in my opinion. At 6’5″, the Seahawks will be forced more than likely to stick 6’3″ safety Kam Chancellor on him. Thomas will be too much for the Seattle linebackers to handle so look for Chancellor to cover him. If Seattle goes to a lot of man coverage, I think you’ll see Denver move Julius Thomas out wider than normal and run the ball.

I will be very surprised to see Denver have any success in tight or big formations because Seattle is just too good defensively. The other thing that should happen with Julius Thomas split out is that it will create more room for Welker to operate underneath. I suspect the Broncos will also use their running backs in the passing game a little more too.

Defensively, the Broncos have one main goal to accomplish and I believe this game will be theirs. Denver must force Seattle into third and long situations thereby putting Russell Wilson in passing situations and none of the play-action variety.

Obviously getting the Seahawks into long yardage situations means they will have to stuff and contain Marshawn Lynch which is not going to be easy. The Broncos did however gain some great confidence in shutting down a New England running attack that had demolished the Colts a week prior.

The over/under is 47 which is very simple to decipher. If you take the under, you like Seattle and if you take the over you like the Broncos. In their last five games, Denver has gone under in all five. That is not something to take lightly. Keep in mind that high-scoring teams like the 1999 Rams and the unbeaten Patriots went into Super Bowls expecting to blow up the scoreboard.

In both cases, those teams were held well under their normal average. Keep in mind the Rams still won… And so can the Broncos.

January 29, 2014

Previous Super Bowls Evenly Split Between OVER/UNDER

Super Bowl XLVIII is just four days away and both the line and point total has held steady since the point spread flipped on just the first day of betting following the conference championship games two Sunday’s ago.

Denver is currently favored in the game by 2.5 points and anyone remotely close to football and betting can tell you that. In comparison, the point total is not as well known as the point spread and is currently sitting at 47.5 on Bovada. Sites such as topbet and sportsbook.com have the spread at 47.

The first thing bettors look at is the point spread, while the point total is often an afterthought that in reality is a good way to wager in games that are too close to determine a winner with the spread.

The point total is a quite standard number. Including this year’s Super Bowl XLVIII, seven of the past 10 Super Bowls had over/under point totals of 45 to 48.

For some, a point total of 47, which betonline currently has for the Super Bowl, seems like a very low point total for a game involving the Denver Broncos. It should because it is.

Fifteen of Denver’s 18 games played this season have had point totals of 50 or more. A Denver game has not ended with less than 50 points scored since they played Kansas City on November 17.

Because of this, many would think the OVER would be an easy bet. However, do not jump too fast to conclusions. The last five games Denver has played cashed to the UNDER, including its two wins in the postseason.

Adding to the possibility of an UNDER is that only five of the 18 games Seattle has played this season have ended with 48 combined points or higher.

So, you ask yourself, take the UNDER?

There are reasons to consider it. The defense for Seattle is No. 1 in the league. Denver’s defense is no slouch. The weather could factor in with snow, wind and cold.

The latest forecast released by the national weather service has winds of less than 10-mph on Sunday and a slight chance of some form of precipitation.

The Super Bowl has been a tossup as far as point totals in the past. Of the 47 Super Bowls, 46 have had point totals for betting purposes. The first one did not. The point total cannot get any closer in the previous Super Bowls than it currently is with 23 OVER and 23 UNDER.

Over the past six Super Bowls played, the point total has alternated between the OVER and UNDER. However, four of the past five would have ended OVER the 47 total for the current Super Bowl.

In 10 of the last 13 Super Bowls, the teams combined for more second half points than first half points.

You might just consider the OVER for the second half.

January 28, 2014January 28, 2014

Mid-Week Sports News From the NBA and NFL

I’m looking at four key stories today from the National Basketball Association and the National Football League today. From Kevin Durant to the Dallas Cowboys, I have a little bit of everything today.

Kevin Durant

Last night Kevin Durant did two impressive things to add to his current list of impressive things. First, his jumper at the end of the game knocked off the Atlanta Hawks 111-109 and secondly, he extended his streak of 30 point games to 11. Durant finished with 41 points, four rebounds, five assists and three steals and left the home crowd in a frenzy once again.

In recent years, Durant has finished ‘oh so close’ to winning the league’s Most Valuable Player award but LeBron James has beaten him out. If things stay as they are through the rest of the season, Durant won’t have to worry about that. He is far and away the MVP of the 2013-2014 season and his current scoring streak is a prime example why.

‘Melo to Stay?

Carmelo Anthony recently poured in 62 points for the New York Knicks to set their team record for points in a game. Perhaps this was also a statement to say “this is why you need to pay me” to his Knicks’ front office. Anthony will be a free agent at the end of this season and he has a number of options but basically just two when it comes to money.

The Knicks can give him a max deal worth $129 million over five years while the most he could get elsewhere would be $96 million over four years. With the Los Angeles Lakers in the Big Apple this week, Kobe Bryant was asked about Anthony playing with the Lakers. Bryant said he won’t be recruiting him but not in a negative way. He just made it clear Anthony has to make his own decision.

The money tells us he will stay in New York but with the dysfunction that is the New York Knicks, will he want to stay or will he want to go somewhere where a legitimate championship awaits? If I’m him, I’m gone.

Dysfunction in Big D

The Dallas Cowboys have reportedly hired former Lions’ offensive coordinator Scott Linehan to be their play-caller for the 2014 season. This will be the third different play-caller the Cowboys have had in the last three years. The first question has to be why? The Dallas offense really hasn’t been the problem. Defensive Coordinator Monte Kiffin’s unit was historically bad last season but he’ll be back at least as of right now.

This move was clearly made by ‘General Manager’ Jerry Jones with the blessing of ‘owner’ Jerry Jones which really is problem number one according to anyone who knows how things work in Big D. Can the Dallas offense be better? Of course they can and so can Tony Romo which may be the real point here but even that doesn’t make sense.

If you want to bring in a guy who can help Romo make better decisions, especially late in games, is Linehan really the best choice for that? He just got canned in Detroit along with head coach Jim Schwartz in part because Lions’ quarterback Matthew Stafford had become so erratic in his decision-making and throwing. This is a move to me that is one of desperation whether Jones will admit it or not.

Super Bowl Weather

Looks like Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league will avoid a major mess as decent weather is forecasted for Sunday. Right now the temps are expected to be in the mid-30’s with little if any precipitation. The wind could be a factor but that remains to be seen just yet. Looks like the blizzard I was hoping for isn’t going to happen.

January 28, 2014

Rockets Drop in NBA Championship Futures

The NBA season has just passed its halfway point with most teams have played 41 games or more. Bookmakers have released the futures for the NBA Championship again this week.

One team that has fallen short of expectations set during the preseason is the Houston Rockets. The Houston Rockets with a record of 29-17 straight up and 22-22-2 against the spread were on top of the world during the offseason after they swooped in and signed Dwight Howard.

The signing of Howard prompted many sportsbooks, including Bovada to price the Rockets at 10 to 1 to win the NBA title in the 2013-14 season.

While the Rockets are still positioned well to make the postseason currently in fifth place in the Western Conference standings they are 7 games behind first place Oklahoma City.

However, the Rockets are far from being a dominate force in the league and the team is currently 20 to 1 on topbet and betonline. That has them in the second tier of possible title winners beside teams on sportsbook.com such as Golden State at 12 to 1, the Los Angeles Clippers at 15 to 1 and the Portland Trail Blazers at 15 to 1.

Houston however did not sign the most coveted big man and defensive specialist in the NBA to be just a second tier playoff club. Houston is three spots higher in the playoff race for the Western Conference than last year when they finished No. 8, but for the team and its fans, No. 5 seems a bit below par.

Offensively, the Rockets do not have problems. Houston is fifth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 105 points per game and ninth in rebounding with an average of just fewer 45 per game. However, the club is giving up 101 points per game.

The players on the roster appear to be good enough to give Houston an opportunity to make a strong run in the post season. James Harden is averaging 23 points and 5 assists per game and teammate Chandler Parsons is scoring at a rate of 17 per game on the outside.

Howard is working hard on the inside and scores 18 per game, while pulling down over 12 rebounds per game and blocking nearly 2 shots each game.

Certain teams are better when playing a seven-game series like in the playoffs and not individual games each night versus a different opponent. That is still up in the air with regard to Houston.

Houston plays at home on Tuesday versus San Antonio, a team with injuries that have slowed their pace toward the postseason. The Spurs are just a combined 1-10 versus the Clippers, Heat, Pacers, Rockets, Trail Blazers and Thunder, but 32-1 against the rest of the league.

Top 10 NBA Championship Futures

Miami Heat 3 to 2

Indiana Pacers 9 to 4

Oklahoma City Thunder 9 to 2

San Antonio Spurs 10 to 1

Golden State Warriors 12 to 1

Los Angeles Clippers 15 to 1

Portland Trail Blazers 15 to 1

Houston Rockets 20 to 1

Memphis Grizzlies 50 to 1

Minnesota Timberwolves 50 to 1

January 27, 2014January 26, 2014

Great College Hoops Action Tonight

In making my transition from the National Football League and college football, I’ve been able to focus some attention on the NBA but now I finally am returning to the last place where basketball truly is played as close to the way it was intended as possible. It used to be that Monday night was always the biggest night in college hoops action but these days you can find big games nearly every night across your television dial.

This Monday night however feels like a throwback with classic Big East and Big 12 match-ups and a potentially new rivalry in the ACC. Let’s get to them shall we?

Duke (+3.5) at Pitt – As it’s maiden voyage into Atlantic Coast Conference continues, the highlight of said voyage arrives for Pitt tonight. The Duke Blue Devils come to Western Pennsylvania for the first time with both schools being members of the same conference. Not surprisingly, this has been the hottest ticket in Pitt basketball history as students have braved the cold to camp out and hope for tickets.

The Panthers are unbeaten at home in the Petersen Events Center and they will need to rely on their very efficient shooting and unselfish play to beat the Devils. While this isn’t the usual dominant Duke teams we’ve seen in the past but this is still a very good team under Coach K. Pitt is 5-1-1 against the spread in their last seven games while the Blue Devils are just 1-4 against the spread in their last five road contests.

Look for big games from Lamar Patterson of Pitt and Jabari Parker of Duke but it might be the scrappy guys who make the difference. Take the Panthers giving the points to win at home.

Oklahoma State (-3) at Oklahoma – The 11th ranked Cowboys travel to Norman to play their rivals and 25th-ranked Sooners. Oklahoma State is 16-3 while Oklahoma is 16-4. Both schools already have two losses in Big 12 Conference play while conference leader Kansas is 6-0. The Cowboys are 2-5 against the spread in their last seven road games and they are also 1-4 against the spread in their last five road games at Llyod Noble Center in Norman.

OK State is led by Marcus Smart and Markel Brown who average about 17 and 16 points respectively per game. Cameron Clark and Buddy Hield of Oklahoma average almost the exact same points per game respectively as well.

The Sooners are 19-4 straight up in their last 23 games at home but I like the Cowboys to cover because of a little bit tougher schedule.

Villanova (-5) at Georgetown – The #4 Wildcats hit the road to the nation’s capitol where a rather disappointing Hoyas’s team is waiting for them. At 17-2, Villanova trails Big East Conference newcomer by just a half a game for the Big East lead. Georgetown is just 11-8 but is just 3-5 in the Big East Conference.

Jayvaughn Pinkston and James Bell each average 15 points per game to lead ‘Nova. The Hoyas are led by D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera who averages 17 points per game and Markel Starks who averages 16 points per game. The difference between the two teams however is that Villanova gets more scoring from other players than Georgetown does and that explains Villanova scoring about ten points more per game than the Hoyas.

The Wildcats are 1-4 against the spread when playing at Verizon Center in Georgetown while the Hoyas are 8-2 straight up in their last ten against Villanova. I expect that Georgetown will play well but these are drastically different teams. I look for Villanova to cover and get the win in Big East play.

January 27, 2014

Super Bowl XLVIII Trends to Start the Week

Trends are what help bookmakers set their lines and can help the public bettor have a higher percentage chance of winning this Sunday in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Of course, the important thing is deciding what trends are important and which ones might not have much effect on the outcome of the game or your bet.

The Super Bowl has been played since 1967 and in this one pitting the Denver Broncos vs. the Seattle Seahawks might be one of the most evenly matched of the 47 already played.

Identical

Super Bowl XLVIII is the first SB in the past 20 years to have two No. 1 seeds facing off, both teams come into the matchup with 15-3 SU records.

During the regular season, both teams played against the teams from the AFC South. Both teams were 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS.

In the games versus playoff teams during the regular season, Denver finished 6-3 straight up and 5-4 against the spread. Seattle was 4-2 SU and ATS.

Head to head

Denver has a record against Seattle since 1993 of 16-5 straight up and 12-8-1 against the spread.

Seattle is 1-19 SU over its past 20 games against teams from the AFC West who have a .800 or better winning percentage.

Stats Do the Talking

The defense for Seattle is No. 1 overall in the NFL. The Seahawks allow only 284 yards and 15 points per game.

The offense for Denver is No. 1 in the league with 454 yards and 36 points per game averages.

As mentioned in a previous report, this is the sixth time the No. 1 offense has played the No. 1 defense in the Super Bowl. The defense is 4-1 in those matchups.

In addition, the team, with the better overall defense, and in this case it is Seattle, is 39-8 SU in the previous 47 Super Bowls.

However, more recently, the better defensive teams are only 2-5 straight up and 1-6 against the spread over the past seven Super Bowls.

Favorites in the Super Bowl of 5 points or less, in the two-week rest period – bye the first week of the playoffs and the week off before the Super Bowl – are 1-7 SU as well as ATS. Denver is favored by just 2.5 points as of Monday.

Quarterbacks

Both teams have strong quarterbacks. Denver’s Peyton Manning tore up the league’s defenses this season for 55 touchdown passes and just 10 picks. Russell Wilson for Seattle had 26 touchdowns and 9 picks.

Manning led the league in passing and has continued with a high ranking in the postseason, while Wilson’s numbers have fallen during the playoffs.

Manning is 2-2 straight up and 3-1 against the spread versus Seattle. Overall, with Denver, Manning is an impressive 29-7 straight up and 22-12-1 against the spread.

The Broncos are not known for defense, but in 14 games they have held their opponents to 200 passing yards or less, Denver is 12-2 straight up and 10-4 against the spread.

The NFC is 21-11 SU as well as 20-10-3 ATS over the past 32 Super Bowls. Over the past five, the NFC is 4-1 straight up and against the spread.

Soon it will be time to decide which team gets your play.